Vegas has signed Alex Weiermair to a three-year, entry-level contract.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Nashville has signed Jake Lucchini to a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $850,000.
Lucchini has spent the entire 2025-26 season in the AHL but has impressed, earning himself a one-year, two-way contract extension after scoring 38 points (13G / 25A) in 48 games with the Milwaukee Admirals. The undrafted 30-year-old forward played three games with the Predators last season and has six points (3G / 3A) in 54 career NHL games.
Chicago has signed Olivier Rodrigue to a one-year, $775,000 AAV.
Chicago was in need of some goaltending depth and signed 25-year-old Olivier Rodrigue on Saturday to a one-year, two-way contract. The goaltender has two NHL appearances under hit belt and last appeared with Bakersfield (AHL) in 2024-25, posting a 18-16-8 record, .897 SV% and 3.12 GAA. He is expected to report to Rockford (AHL).
Washington has signed Mitchell Gibson to a two-year, two-way contract.
Washington added to their goaltending depth on Tuesday after signing 26-year-old Mitchell Gibson to a two-year, two-way contract. The Capitals 2018 4th round pick has spent the season bouncing between the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) and the Hershey Bears (AHL). Gibson will have to pass through waivers before he can be loaned back to Hershey (AHL) and is expected to do so today.
Carolina has signed Brandon Bussi to a three-year, $1.9 million extension ($5.7 million total).
Bussi has been one of the NHL's best stories in 2025-26 after being claimed off waivers by Carolina from Boston in the offseason and has earned himself a three-year, $1.9 million contract extension ($5.7 million total). The 27-year-old holds a ridiculous 23-3-1 record this season to go alongside his 2.16 GAA and .908 SV%. He is expected to be apart of Carolina's future in tandem with Pyotr Kochetkov.
Los Angeles has signed Artemi Panarin to a two-year contract extension worth $11 million AAV ($22M total).
Panarin has not played since January 26th, being held out of the lineup with the New York Rangers, who tried to facilitate a trade for the impending UFA, which came to fruition on Wednesday in a deal that will see him sent to the Los Angeles Kings. The 34-year-old Panarin had a poor start to the 2025-26 season, with just seven points (2G / 5A) in his first 14 games, but has since returned to his elite form and proven he is still one of the top offensive players in the NHL, scoring 50 points (17G / 33A) in his last 38 games. The trade to Los Angeles was quickly accompanied by a two-year, $11 million contract extension.
Edmonton has signed Atro Leppanen to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Leppanen is an undrafted 27-year-old Finnish defenseman playing his first professional season in North America. He has impressed with 20 points (3G/17A) in 28 games with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL).
Dries has been signed to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
The Red Wings have signed Ben Chiarot to a three-year contract extension worth $3.85M AAV ($11.55M total).
Chiarot, in his fourth season with the Red Wings, has been a serviceable top-four defenseman and has earned himself a three-year contract extension. The 34-year-old is averaging 21:07 time-on-ice, recording 11 points (4G / 7A), 109 hits, and 113 blocks in 54 games this season.
Colorado has signed Sam Malinski to a four-year contract extension worth $4.75M AAV ($19.5M total).
Los Angeles has signed Taylor Ward to a two-year extension worth $875,000 AAV ($1.75 million total)
Ward made his season debut earlier this month and has been productive in a middle-six role, scoring four points (2G / 2A) in nine games. The undrafted 27-year-old forward has five points (3G / 2A) in 10 career games.
Washington has signed Bogdan Trineyev to a two-year, $1.8 million contract extension ($850,000 AAV).
Buffalo has signed Josh Doan to a seven-year extension worth $6.95 million AAV ($48.65M total).
Doan was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason and is having a breakout first season with his new team, earning a seven-year contract extension worth $48.65 million. The 23-year-old forward has 35 points (15G / 20A), 44 hits, and 109 shots in 49 games this season.
Boston has signed Alex Steves to a two-year contract extension worth $1.625 million AAV ($3.25M total).
Steeves has enjoyed his first season as a full-time NHLer and has earned himself a two-year contract extension. The 26-year-old forward is averaging 12:24 time-on-ice and has 14 points (8G / 6A) in 33 games this season.
Florida has signed Uvis Balinskis to a two-year contract extension worth $850,000 AAV.
Balinskis was in and out of the lineup to start the season, but injuries on Florida's blueline have awarded him with a larger role, earning himself a two-year contract extension. The 29-year-old Latvian defenseman has eight pints (1G / 7A) in 36 games this season.
St. Louis has signed Logan Mailloux to a one-year, $850,000 contract extension.
Edmonton has signed Quinn Hutson to a two-year, $875,000 AAV extension.
Hutson has played four games with the Oilers earlier this season, scoring his first career goal, but has spent most of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. The 24-year-old undrafted forward has 38 points (23G / 15A) in 30 games with Bakersfield (AHL).
Pittsburgh has signed Blake Lizotte to a three-year contract extension worth $2.25 million AAV ($6.75M total).
Lizotte is in his second season with the Penguins and continues to be an effective bottom-six defensive forward, earning himself a three-year, $6.75 million contract extension. The 28-year-old forward is averaging 13:57 time-on-ice and has 10 points (5G / 5A) in 35 games this season.
Ottawa has signed James Reimer to a one-year contract with an AAV of $850,000.
With Linus Ullmark (personal) away from the team, Ottawa has needed reinforcements between the pipes in recent weeks, and will give Reimer a chance after signing him to a one-year, $850,000 contract. The 37-year-old Reimer was awarded the contract despite struggling on his PTO in Belleville (AHL), allowing six goals on 28 shots (.786 SV%) in his only game, a 6-5 loss to Rochester. Reimer appeared in 22 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season (10-8-2), posting a 2.90 GAA and .899 SV%.
Aspirot has been signed to a two-year contract extension ($887,500 AAV).
NHL Free Agents: Best Available Players in 2025
Once the dust settles on the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL offseason officially commences as the latest wave of free agents hit the market as teams and players alike reevaluate their current situation and plot their next steps toward success.
With a plethora of talent up for grabs every summer, Stanley Cup contenders can be formed as well as broken up through free agency. With NHL signings going down at a breakneck pace throughout the opening days of free agency, we’ll keep you in the loop with our 2025 NHL free agency tracker. You can find all of the latest NHL signings of the free agency period as players switch teams, sign extensions, and change the outlook of the league with a single decision.
Whether you’re a diehard fan of your favourite team and are looking to stay up to date with every move made by the front office, or are an avid daily fantasy sports bettor that wants to prep for their wagers, our NHL free agency tracker is the best destination for all your free agent market news.
Types of Free Agent Markets
Each NHL free agent holds their own unique distinction when signing with a team. These distinctions are made based on a number of factors including age, NHL experience, as well as their current contract situation. NHL free agents are divided by restricted and unrestricted free agents, with each classification of player holding varying rights, including how teams are able to offer them contracts, and the results of receiving an offer.
Below, we take a deep dive into each type of NHL free agent so you can get a thorough understanding of each free agent market type, how they are able to sign with teams, and the possible outcomes from each offseason acquisition.
Restricted Free Agents
A restricted NHL free agent (RFA) is a player that is either under the age of 27 or has been in the NHL for less than seven seasons. Teams hold a form of protection over their restricted free agents, providing them with a sort of insurance if their RFA decides to sign with a new team.
While restricted free agents are technically eligible to sign a new contract with different teams, the process can become messy if a team other than their original squad makes them an offer and they accept. Restricted free agents are only able to sign a standard NHL contract with the team that currently owns the players rights, all other squads must submit an offer sheet if they want to lure away a player from their team. If an offer sheet is made to an RFA, the team who holds the players rights will be left with the option to either match the offer made to their player, or allow the player to sign with the team that made the offer sheet, in return receiving draft compensation depending on the value of the contract offered.
Qualifying Offers
In order for a team to retain a player’s rights heading into the free agency period, they must make a qualifying offer to the player. These offers are in the form of a one-year contract, with the amount offered being formulated depending on the value of their previous contract.
For any player who was on a deal worth $660,000 or less, the qualifying offer they receive must be worth 110% the amount of their previous season’s salary. For a player making between $660,000 and $1,000,000, they must be offered 105% their previous seasons salary. Finally, if a player was making more than $1 million in their previous year of duty, their team must offer them 100% of their previous season’s salary.
These offers are not final and players are eligible to receive greater or lesser valued contracts from the team that holds their rights once free agency begins. Players who reject qualifying offers remain restricted free agents.
Non-Qualified RFAs
If a team decides to not submit a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent on their roster, all non-qualified RFAs instantly become free agents and are welcome to sign contracts with any team come July 1st.
Unrestricted Free Agents
The other form of NHL free agent is the unrestricted free agent (UFA). UFAs have the right to sign their next deal with any team without restriction, as long as the offer they sign complies with league salary cap mandates and rules. Unrestricted free agents are truly what can shake up the free agent market, with many of the leagues top stars entering into the offseason as UFAs.
There are multiple forms of unrestricted free agents, each with their own unique classifications, but don’t necessarily affect the potential value of the contracts offered to them in the offseason. Below are two of the most common UFAs.
Group 3 UFAs
Common among NHL veterans, Group 3 comprises players entering free agency that are 27 or older, or have played in the NHL for more than seven accrued seasons. An accrued season is defined as a season in which a player has suited up for action on an NHL roster in at least 40 games (30 for goalies). Any player that fits this criteria will become an unrestricted free agent once their contract expires in the following offseason.
Group 6 UFAs
Another way that players can become an unrestricted free agent is by being 25 years of age or older and to have played three or more professional hockey seasons under an NHL contract (AHL, ECHL, Europe), but played in less than 80 NHL games (28 for goalies) in their career. Often, Group 6 unrestricted free agents are developing players that, for one reason or another, have not had the chance to crack into an NHL lineup, but still possess experience as a high-level player. There is no difference in the rights of Group 3 and Group 6 unrestricted free agents, but typically the latter will receive smaller contracts, both in terms of value as well as in duration.
Undrafted UFAs
The final way that a player may enter into free agency as an unrestricted free agent is by going undrafted in their three years of draft eligibility. If a player is not selected by an NHL franchise through the draft they are still eligible to crack into a final roster as a free agent.
NHL Free Agency FAQs
Who are the top NHL free agents in 2025?
Some of the top NHL free agents available this summer are Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Aaron Ekblad, Nikolaj Ehlers, John Tavares, Brock Boeser, Brad Marchand and Linus Ullmark.
This offseason will bring a stacked crop of free agents to the market that will shape the landscape of the 2025-26 NHL season. Not only will the final landing spots for each of the top 2025 NHL free agents shake up the framework of the league, but will also have major implications on the upcoming fantasy hockey season. Be sure to stay in the know in regard to the latest free agency updates with our NHL player news.
What time does free agency start?
On July 1st, 2025, at 12 PM EST, the 2025 NHL free agency period officially opens. While some players will have all but signed the dotted line up to this point, nothing can become official until noon on Canada Day.